Law Society launches pamphlet about rights of persons arrested or taken in for questioning

SINGAPORE - The Law Society of Singapore has started distributing a "pamphlet of rights" to community clubs and police stations around the country, where it will be made available to members of the public and persons "arrested or brought in for questioning by the police".

The society said in a statement today that its criminal practice committee began work on the pamphlet in 2013, with the aim of providing "basic information in a condensed and 'simple to understand' form to the public on the relevant rights a person has when being questioned by the police", and to inform the people about what to expect during investigations.

The pamphlet is "important and necessary because information about legal rights during investigations, when criminal defence lawyers have not been appointed, may not be easy for members of the public to find or understand", it said.

It also said that the pamphlet is a result of "collaborative efforts and engagement with various stakeholders in criminal justice system like Attorney-General's Chambers and the Ministry of Home Affairs with the constant and strong support from the Ministry of Law".